Military and passenger airship.



J. E. COOPER.

MILITARY AND PASSENGER AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1911. EENEWED AUG. 26, 1912. 1,056,503. Patented Mar.1s,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. E. COOPER.

MILITARY AND PASSENGER AIRSHIP.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1911. EBNBWBD AUG. 2s, 1912.

Patented Marl'18, y1913.

3 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

1 hm N I a SWW/who@ coLunmm PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. E. COOPER.

4MILITARY AND PASSENGER AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1911. mmwnn 1119.26, 1912.

Patented Mar.18,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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JOSEPH EVANS COOPER, OF CRIPPLE CREEK, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO COOPER AIRSI-II COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MILITARY AND PASSENGER AIRSHIP.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913 Application led September 1, 1911, Serial No. 647,208. Renewed August 26, 1912. Serial No. 717,19(

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOSEPH ll. COOPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cripple Creek, in the county of Teller and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Military and Passenger Air-ships; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to aerial navigation, and more especially to dirigible balloons; and the object of the same is to eiect certain improvements over my prior patent dated Feb. 14, 1911, and bearing No. 984,076.

To this end the present invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed and as shown in the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a general side elevation of this air ship; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--8 of Fig. 1, giving a plan view of the parts supported by the balloon; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the steering devices; Fig. 6 is a cross section through the balloon showing the gas tank therein and the air pouch around the tank; Fig. 7 is another cross section through the balloon showing a different forni of its framework structure. Fig. S is an enlarged longitudinal section through the rear engine room and the rear portion of the balloon body and one of the gas cylinders, illustrating the connection between the steering mechanism and the rudders and the pipe which feeds gasolene from the tank to one of the engines. Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan view of the rear engine room and rear pilot house and the mechanism therein.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the main gas tank or balloon of this improved air ship, which forms the supporting element and is preferably of aluminum and pointed at its opposit-e ends as shown, being divided interiorly by partitions 2 into compartments so that if one should leak or burst the others would sustain the machine. The substantially cylindrical body of the tank is maintained in that shape by means of ribs 3 which may be internal as shown in Fig. 6 or external as shown in Fig. 7, and at suitable points th shell may have safety valves 4 communicat ing with the various compartments so tha an excess of pressure therein will not caus bursting. Disposed preferably along th bottom of the cylindrical body in the centra compartment is a gasolene tank 5 fron which suitable pipes 53 lead to the engine described below, and in the other compart ments are mounted high pressure gas tank G each having its own safety valve 7 to pre vent bursting in case the pressure should be come too high therein. I purposely locat these high pressure tanks within the mail tank, because if the former should leak th gas escaping would not escape from th main tank and its buoyant properties woul still be employed. Preferably disposed ove and lying upon the high pressure tanks i are air-pouches 8 made of flexible materia such as rubber, each having apertures 1 open to the outside air, and the registering apertures 10 in the cylindrical body of th tank are preferably coveret. with wire ganz to prevent the pouch itself from being force( out through them by the pressure of ga contained within the tank. These expansi ble pouches permit air to enter any compart ment within the balloon envelop so that th pouch expands automatically sufficiently t take the place of any gas that may be draw] from such compartment or which may es cape therefrom, for the combined purpos of preventing the admixture of air with ga and avoiding a tendency of the normal ai: pressure on the exterior of the casing t1 collapse it. These pouches have a third an( important function, which is to prevent th loss of fluid from the high pressure tanks l in case the latter should spring a leak, fo; the inner wall of each pouch closely sur rounds said tank as seen in Fig. 6. An( still another function which they possess i that of jacketing such tanks in case the fluir therein is explosive.

An important feature of improvemen which I have adopted consists in Stringing the collecting wires 12 of a wireless tele graph or telephone outfit beneath the coni cal front end of the balloon body as shown whereby they are protected to an exten from the elements and yet are exposed a far as possible so as to be susceptible to th lucnces by means of which communican may be had between this machine and note stations. :lnother feature of improvement consists the location of two engine rooms 13 and at opposite ends of the main gangway l lich is supported in any suitable manner ieath and preferably extends throughout a length of the cylindrical portion of the :ly of the tank l, the cabin and magazine being placed at about the center' of the igth of said gangway, and the gas pump and dynamos 1S being disposed forward d aft along said gangway and within the gine rooms so that the entire machine ll be balanced as nearly as possible. ith the same object, in view, the four enies with which this machine is provided a disposed tivo in each engine room and jacent the sides thereof as indicated at each receiving its supply of gasolene )1n the tank 5 through a separate tube d each engine being entirely independent all others so that if one engine should thrown out of commission it will only pair the propelling mechanism by one- .irth its total. Each engine drives its Dpellers within a tube 2l having a ring front end 22, and these tubes are dissed at. opposite sides of the main gangvy and fore and aft as shown. Here ain, if any one propeller should be foivn out of commission, the other three `uld be amply suiicient to drive the maine. The function of the dynamos and s pump is the same as in my prior patent, d needs no elaboration here. another feature of improvement in the sent instance relates to the steering apratus. The vertical rudders are dissed one in rear of each tube 21 so that iin there are four and an accident to one to one pair would not disable the conl of the air ship. In the present case, Wever, I have added a horizontal rudder at the rear of the machine, thereby eniing the aviator or pilot to make a rapid :ent or descent without necessarily waitfor the relatively slow operation of mping gas from one pressure tank 6 or a other. The steering mechanism for all rse rudders is best seen in F ig. 5, and here iin I have duplicated the mechanism at x front and rear portions of the main ngway l5, and located the pilot houses eferably in the angles 27 at the front :ls of the engine rooms 13 and 14. litheach pilot house is erected a standard having a bearing 3l at its upper end lough which is journaled a tubular shaft ving a pulley 32 at one extremity and a nd wheel 33 at the other, and suitable )es or chains 34 lead from this pulley to e set of rudders. Similarly a smaller Lft is journaled through the tubular shaft and there is a pulley 35 at one end and a hand wheel 3G at its other end, and from this pulley lead other chains 37 which are connected to the other rudder. Each shaft carries a toothed wheel 38 engaged by a separate latch and treadle mechanism 39 so that after the pulley has been turned by the hand wheel to set the rudder the latch may be engaged with the toothed wheel to lock it in that position. Of course it is possible to connect both steering mechanisms with all the rudders so that two pilots working together may assist each other at times when it is necessary or desirable, or the connection could be broken temporarily so that either pilot could do the steering in his own pilot house irrespective of the other or in the absence of the other. However, as the machine is quite long and the vertical rudders fore and aft are disposed some distance from each other, it may be and preferably is desirable usually to connectup the chains with the pulleys of the steering mechanism in such manner that as the vertical rudders at the front are turned to the right those at the rear are turned to the left so that the machine may be turned about in short compass. This is illustrated theoretically by the dotted positions of the rudders 25 in Fig. 3 and I consider it far more important in a dirigible balloon than in a long land vehicle or long water vehicle. If all the lateral rudders in a balloon were moved in one direction simultaneously the tendency would be to swing the entire gangway to one side and rock the cylindrical tank on its axis, whereas it will be clear that if the fore rudders turn in one direction and the aft rudders in the other this tendency would not obtain. lVith a vehicle the tendency is overcome by its engagement with the earth or the water.

I purposely refrain from giving sizes, specific structures proportions, or materials of parts because they do not enter into the successful operation of this improved military and passenger air ship. As first stated above, this is an improvement on my former patent in details which have been elaborated above. One other feature of improvement over my prior patent hereinbefore referred to consists in the use of an inclinometer 50, which is a Weighted hand pivoted at the point 5l, and swinging over a. dial 52, and whereof I preferably mount one in each engine room to indicate to the engineer or pilot or both the position of the keel relative to a horizontal line. It is to be understood that these are not the lateral devices ordinarily used on board ships to tell when they are running on even keel, but the pivots 51 st-and transverse of the length of my improved air ship so that the pendulums or hands may swing forward and backward as the extremities of the machine rise and l fall, hence it will be seen that it is quite necessary that each engineer and each pilot should know whether the keel stands level or inclined and if inclined in which direction and to what degree.

In Fig. S is shown a slight modification, wherein the high pressure gas tank 6 is supported at some little distance above the bottom of the gas tank or balloon l by means of brackets G0; and this view also illustrates the gasolene pipe 53 which it will be understood connects at its front end with the tank 5 elsewhere shown and is illustrated herein as leading to the engine 19.

What is claimed as new is:

l. In a dirigible balloon, a cylindrical gas-envelop mounted on suitable ribs and divided into compartments by transverse partitions; combined with a liquid fuel tank in the central compartment and high pressure gas tanks in the others, safety valves for the last-named tanks, flexible pouches around certain of the tanks, and independent connections between all said tanks and the machines With which they communicate.

2. In a balloon, the combination with a cylindrical gas-envelop having safety valve: through its wall, tanks within said envelol at the bottom thereof for liquid fuel and foi high pressure gas, and safety valves for th last named tank leading through the en velop wall of a flexible pouch within sai( envelop and resting on said tank but close( to both, and means for throwing its interio] into communication with the outside air.

3. In a balloon, the combination witl ribs, a rigid gas-envelop carried thereby and a safety valve in the envelop; of a tanl within the envelop a flexible air pouch with in said envelop around the tank and in fre( communication through the wall of the envelop with the open air, and Wire gauze across the opening in the envelop outside the pouch, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntc set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH EVANS COOPER.

lVitnesses:

WM. A. STEININGER, LEON H. OASE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

